I'll Be Fine
by radnewsbarrett
Summary: Cora Arrowood has only known a small existence in District 12 until she is swept into the Capitol to fight in the 66th Hunger Games. She knows she just has to push through until the very end if she wants even a chance of making it back home - but she lets a few people change her along the way. [HaymitchxOC]
1. Chapter 1

It's still dark when I get out of bed. Well, it's not much of a bed; the flimsy mattress creaks in protest as I push myself up. Tying my hair at the nape of my neck, I walk to the front door. Silently I peek into my little sister's room and finds her sleeping soundly. "Good morning, Amber," I breathe, like I always do, and turn away. I give my parents' room nothing more than a glance as I sit and tie my shoes.

The humid air envelopes me, and I'm lucky I've taken this walk before or I'd stumble in the darkness. I feel around for the hole in the wire fence that I'd made six years ago. It's on the edge of town, a place no one would want to go. Out of that gate means out of the districts. Once I find it, I slide in. It's hard for my tall frame, but I always manage.

Stepping quietly, I walk until I find a tree to lean against that doesn't obstruct the sky. I'm only here to watch the sunrise; in town, the smog from the mines is too thick to see through when it's so dark.

As I gaze up at the sky I think. It's been a year since I took this walk so early in the morning. Reaping Day. I always came here to think. To think and to reason. Why couldn't I just dash off into the woods? Who's stopping me, who says I can't go?

But it's always the fear, and the hope that stops me. Amber is the driving force in my life. Everything I do is for her. Ever since we lost our parents I've done it all - supplied food, got money... She couldn't make it without me, not while she's so young. And then there's the thought burning in the back of my mind. _Maybe this can change. Maybe it can all get better._ One more year and I'm done with the Reaping. Of course there's Amber but she's only ten - I'll deal with that when I have to.

As I dwell on how the day might go, I notice the sun rising from behind rows upon rows of bushes and trees. It's beautiful, all of the oranges and pinks swirling together to make some sort of perfect color.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I realize that I have to leave. Pushing myself up, I start back to the fence at a quick jog. It must be around seven, and the Reaping starts at noon. I wanted to at least stop the market before I get back home. Sometimes I bring them animals, other times, just money. I work at the coal mines, mostly just helping out. Nothing too severe.

As I walk through town, more people starting to get up, I greet the people I pass. It means a lot to be kind in District 12. It's such a sad existence; the least I can do is make someone smile.

I reach the market in no time at all. Stopping and looking around, I suddenly have an idea. I turn and start to walk to the bakery instead. I'll get Amber a loaf of bread, for going out to the Reaping with me. I figure I'm speaking too soon - well, I _know_ I am and I can't not focus on that fact - but I want to do something for her.

"Good morning," I say as I walk into the small bakery. The scent is incredible, but it always is. I haven't been here since last month.

"Morning," the boy behind the counter replies. He's stocky, probably from throwing around all the bags of flour, and he has a rough appearance. The oldest Mellark son, though I can't remember his name. He has to be close to my age.

"Could I just get a loaf of bread?" I ask, placing the money before him. I glance up at his eyes, but he doesn't look up at me as he scoops it up.

A moment later a loaf of bread is in my hands. "Thank you," I say, smiling at him. His strong brown eyes bore into my own. "Are you in the Reaping?"

He nods quickly. "And you?" he answers. Not much of a talker, but I'm not surprised. The Mellark family never struck me as particularly warm.

"Yeah." I clutch the bread close to me. "Um... Good luck then." He nods, and though I wait for him to reply, he does nothing. So I leave.

I set the bread on the kitchen table and walk into Amber's room. She's still sleeping, which doesn't surprise me. She always sleeps in.

"Amber, hey," I whisper, tugging on her arm. "Amber." I nudge her and she jumps, sitting up and staring at me.

"You scared me, Cora!" She laughs and pushes me, and I laugh too. "I know it's the Reaping today," she says as she gets out of bed. "I'll get dressed."

"Okay, it's around 11, so you have some time." I leave to my own room, shutting the door.

I take a bath, sighing as the cold water runs through my brown hair. Mom used to always say that it's golden, but I don't think so. After scrubbing the smell of coal off of myself, I dry off and take my dress out of the closet. It's light pink, faded from its years of use by my mother. I've never liked it much. Maybe it's more what I associate it with that makes it bother me. I pull it over my head, adjusting it so that it doesn't bunch up at the sides like it always does. My parents never expected me to get this tall. At 5'8", I used to be a head taller than Mom. I tie my hair back into a bun and sigh; I look exactly the same as I do every year. Is it ever going to change? Is there going to be a year when I don't have to do this? "God, I hope so," I mutter as I shove my nice shoes onto my feet.

"Alright, Amber, we have to go." She comes out of her room in her nice white dress and with her braided neatly. "You know, you're really good at doing your hair like that," I say, smiling down at her.

"Thank you." She looks at me for a moment then wraps me up in a hug. "One more year, Cora," she whispers. _One more year._

We walk to the Hall of Justice together, eventually getting caught up in a large throng of people doing the same thing. Amber separates from me as I get in line, and I watch her as she stands near the back of the square next to a Peacekeeper.

I'm at the front of the line before I realize it, and the woman just grabs my finger and pricks it. It doesn't bother me anymore, and I push my finger onto the paper without even thinking. I walk towards the other 18 year old girls, recognizing many of them from school. I stand next to Sefa, an old friend. She greets me very briefly and we both immediately turn back to the stage before us.

Effie Trinket comes teetering out on her high heels, twittering like a bird to the guards around her. After a minute, the Capitol's video comes up, and President Snow's voice is booming in my ears. I've already seen this before and I don't need to see it again, so instead I scan the crowd. I manage to find the boy who works at the bakery, staring intently at the screen. I'm surprised he hasn't gotten tired of it by now. It's all garbage anyway.

All this thinking and looking is just me trying to avoid what I know is going to happen sooner or later; the Reaping itself. _There are so many girls in District 12_ , I think to myself, trying my hardest to stop worrying. My hands are shaking.

The video stops and Effie laughs. "Alright, alright, let's move on, shall we?" She looks down at the two glass bowls sitting on a table before her. "The young man and woman whose name I pull from these bowls is to compete in a battle of glory and honor that has held Panem together for the past 66 years... The Hunger Games." She pauses like she's expecting applause; she should know we're too scared to do anything. "And let me say to you all: may the odds be ever in your favor. Now let's get to it!"

Slipping off her bright green glove, she leans closer into the mic. "Ladies, first, as usual." She plunges her hand in and reaches around, making me more and more nervous without even trying. I watch with bated breath as she finally chooses one and lifts it up with a triumphant expression.

I feel terrible for whosever name is on that paper. Her fate rests in Effie Trinket's perfectly manicured hand. As she starts to unfold it, I let go of a huge breath. _It's not me_ , I think, _the odds are too slim_.

"Cora Arrowood!"

My whole body freezes up. I can't bring myself to move. I stand, stuck in my thoughts, until Sefa steps away from me and stares. She's looking at me - they're all looking at me. It's at that moment I realize that I'm projecting an image to the hundreds of people watching me in this town square and the millions watching me from the Capitol.

I coach myself through the motions. _Look up. Smile. Right leg. Left leg. Keep going. Just keep walking._ Before I know it I've reached the stage. Climbing up the stairs, I turn to Effie and smile, shaking her hand. Her hand is warm while I'm sure mine is ice cold. "Thank you very much, Cora," she says, turning away. "Now stand right where you are, okay?" I nod, only mildly processing her words.

She pulls out the male tribute's name much faster; the tension's already been ruined. "Hunter Bowden!"

I know him; he went to school with me. He's a year younger than me and a bit of an idiot. Peacekeepers shove him along as he stumbles to the stage. He stares at Effie until she steps out of his way, so we are facing. "Now go on, shake hands!" Effie orders, her voice sickly sweet. I reach out first, shaking his hand very firmly. "Good luck," I say, smiling. He just barely nods.

Effie jumps between us, grabbing the microphone. "Well, there you have it. The District 12 tributes!" There's not much applause, except for a few little kids and some people who are probably trying to make us feel better.

I am guided off the stage and into the Hall of Justice, where I am told by a guard to wait for visitors. Amber. My legs go weak, and I grab onto the wall. What am I going to say, will she be alright, who will she stay with, oh God I hope she isn't crying -

"Visitor, Cora." I look up at the same guard and nod. I brace myself for Amber to run into my arms, and I can't wait to hug her, but it never happens. Instead the oldest Mellark son walks in slowly, studying me.

"What?" I stammer. "Where's Amber?"

"We want to take care of her." Stunned, I try to formulate a response. "I found Amber and brought her to my father, and he said we'll take her in for the time being. Until you get back." If I get back. "I mean, my brother is around her age, she'll have a friend with us... Is that okay?"

I sigh, tears finally starting to fall from my eyes. "Yes, that's - thank you. I can't thank you enough, I - " I sob, hunching over. He doesn't seem to know what to do, so he just places a hand on my back. I don't cry for long, though, and soon I'm composed enough to thank him again. "You're too kind. God, I was so scared... I hadn't even thought about what Amber would do. Thank you." I can't stop saying it. "Thank you."

"I mean, you looked pretty confident walking up there, you know. I figured you weren't even that upset. Didn't understand it, though."

I shake my head. "That's how you win sponsors, isn't it?" I clasp my hands together. "I'm on display now. If I want to even dream of making it back I'm gonna have to act the part." He nods.

"Well... Good luck. We'll be watching." I smile for just a moment as he walks out.

Hunter and I meet at the back exit of the Hall of Justice. A train is waiting for us, one of the sleekest machines I've ever seen. Effie ushers us towards it, chattering to us, but I'm not listening. I squeeze my eyes shut as I take the final step onto the train and take a deep breath, composing myself. After I nearly sink into a cushiony chair, the train whisks me away.

* * *

 **A/N: hi there! so I used to be really into the hunger games back in 2012 but for all the obsessing I did I never wrote about it. now I'm here doing it! I forgot how much I loved it and after watching all the movies in like 2 days I decided to do this. if you know me you know that primarily what I do is make up ocs, cry over them, and then write about them, so I'm pretty much doing that with this lol! thank you so much for reading, and please leave a review! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

I've been sitting in the same seat for an hour before I start to really realize the magnitude of this. This isn't just a publicity contest; even if I manage to win the Capitol's heart (which is an extremely daunting task for me already), I'm still going to have to fight to the death against the other 23 tributes. Even Hunter is my competition. After that thought, I decide to try and talk to him.

"Hey." I turn to face him, but he seems to be looking beyond me. "How are you holding up?"

He clenches his fists and for one moment I wonder if he's going to hit me. But he doesn't - he just keeps staring right through my face. "Alia." Oh. Of course.

Alia is the most beautiful girl in District 12 and Hunter's longtime girlfriend. With her wavy black hair and porcelain skin, she's much too pretty to be wasting away in District 12. She and Hunter love each other almost obsessively. I'd forgotten about her. "Did you - did you say goodbye to her?" I ask very gently, not wanting to upset him further.

"Yeah. I promised her I'd see her again." And at that moment, Hunter gives me the most venomous look I've ever seen. A shiver darts down my spine and I turn away, leaning as far back into my chair as I can. He's certain he'll win. He's certain I'll die.

Effie walks in, smiling at the sight of us two sitting side by side. "I trust you two are getting along?" she asks, clasping her hands together. I nod up at her, while Hunter does nothing. I'm officially terrified of him. "Perfect." Effie rushes past us into another car, leaving me alone again.

I fidget absentmindedly with my dress, trying my hardest not to look at Hunter. "Cora." I start, looking at him. I expect more vague threats. "Sorry about what I just said." I exhale just barely, not enough for him to notice, but to me a giant burden has been lifted from me. I don't know how I would function with Hunter acting like he's ready to kill me at any second. "I know how it came across, I just miss her." He tries to smile at me, but it's not much. It's a flimsy apology but I gladly accept it.

"It's alright. You're scared. I'm scared. Hell, everyone's gonna be terrified."

"Not the Careers," he comments, resting his chin in his hand. "They want this."

"Oh. Yeah." I grimace; the Careers had totally slipped my mind.

After remembering them, I realize how slim my chance really is. I mean, this kids are raised on this stuff; I'm sure they knew how to kill someone with their bare hands before they learned to read. My only hope is that they don't know how to get the Capitol to like them. With my lackluster combat skills that's the only thing I _might_ be able to do.

I decide right then that I can't let the Capitol see the turmoil going on in my mind. I have to keep all of this locked up as best I can; if I can get sponsors it might be the difference between life and death. Of course, that's if I survive the first day. My heart is pounding and I'm getting lightheaded as I run all this through my brain when Effie returns, dragging a half-drunk man after her.

She sits down across from us, and the man collapses in the chair next to her. After staring at him, I realize who he is.

"Haymitch Abernathy," Effie says, gesturing to him very quickly. "I apologize for him being an hour late, Hunter, Cora."

"We wouldn't have known if you didn't tell us." Effie snaps her head to Hunter when he speaks. "So thanks, I guess."

Haymitch laughs a bit, sitting up in his chair. "Thanks, kid." Shaking his head a bit, he looks at the both of us. "Um... Hunter and Cora. Right?"

Hunter and I nod. "Yeah. It's a pleasure to meet you, Haymitch." I stick my hand out to shake his, and he takes it, eyeing me strangely.

"You seem oddly calm. You did in the Reaping too. Any reason?" He can't tell if this is all some plan or I'm just an idiot.

"I'm just trying to hold it together. I'm not gonna have a chance if I lose it completely, am I?"

"I suppose you're right." He nods definitively and turns away, leaning back in his chair.

Effie clears her throat and Hunter and I turn to her. "So, we have about an hour left until we reach the Capitol. Until then we'll just sit and wait, I suppose." She chuckles a bit, sounding like tinkling bells. "The stylists are going to have a field day with you, Cora. They'll love your golden hair, I'm sure of it."

"You think so?" I ask, reaching up and touching it. Despite how stupid I find Effie to be, I can't help but be flattered. "Thanks."

Effie starts talking again, but finally my thoughts return to survival. I need to do this for Amber. I need to come back to get her. And if becoming a completely different person is the only way to do it, then so be it.

* * *

 **A/N: thank you so much for reading! actually uploading this is making me want to write faster which is good. please leave a review and thanks again!**


	3. Chapter 3

Everything is a blur of colors and scents and sounds. I turn to Effie and grab onto her hand, trusting her to lead me through this world for just a moment. "Are you a bit overwhelmed, dear?" she asks, turning back and stopping to talk to me. I nod, trying to suppress my sinking stomach.

"Yeah, it's..." I grit my teeth. "It's incredible." I've never even seen this many colors; the only time I would see colors these bright was when Effie Trinket wore then to the Reaping. The fact that these are all in the Capitol and _only_ in the Capitol makes me sick. But I know I have to keep playing along if I want to keep the charade going. "Come on, we're losing Hunter." He's far beyond us, almost oblivious to the extreme things around him.

Effie and I jog to catch up to him (well, in Effie's case it's more of a fast skip with her heels) and we end up walking quickly next to Hunter. "Children, let me first show you to your rooms," she says, walking us into a gigantic building. "District 12 gets the 12th floor." We get into the elevator and stand, waiting patiently. It reminds me of the mine shafts; I'd never gone down myself, but I remember watching my dad sink down under the ground. It always scared me. However, this time I'm soaring up, in a clear glass box, in the Capitol. It's all too much.

Finally we reach the 12th floor. "Your rooms are just around the corner," Effie says, pointing us in the right direction. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to leave for a moment." I can hear her muttering Haymitch's name as she leaves.

Hunter goes straight to his room, while I look around the apartment for a bit. Everything is gorgeous, just like on the train; I can't help but admire it, until I snap back to reality. This isn't about the Capitol. This is about Amber, and the Mellarks, and District 12. I walk into my room and sit down on the bed, finding myself practically sinking into it. I laugh, just a little bit, and lay back.

"Cora!" I jump when Effie bursts into my room. "Come with me - the stylists are ready for you." I suddenly remember what I've seen time and time again in past games; the tributes are all dolled up and paraded around to see which ones are the most likeable before they have to be sent to their deaths. Naturally I'm against it, but it's not my choice to make, is it? I stand up and follow Effie into the elevator.

"You know," Effie says, startling me a bit. "Persephone said you have amazing bone structure." I raise my eyebrows.

"Is that the head stylist?"

"Yes, well, _your_ head stylist. Every district gets one, dear." Effie smiles at me in a terribly patronizing way.

"Oh, well... I'll have to thank her." Thankfully the elevator lets us off and cuts our conversation short. Effie drags me along to where I'm supposed to meet the stylists. Everything looks unbelievably futuristic; it takes some effort to not seem as in awe as I really am. "Here you go, dear." Effie leaves me in a very sterile-looking room, with bright fluorescent lights. "They'll be here any moment now." She looks down at me and grins. "Oh, I cant wait to see what they do with you!" The statement leaves me worried.

Just a second after Effie leaves, a woman with bright pink hair and a shockingly bright dress stepped into view. "Oh, dear! You must be Cora." She hurries to me immediately, her heels clicking against the tile floor, and she grabs my arm with a surprisingly strong grip. "We're going to make you beautiful darling." And she whisks me away.

The next few hours are some of the strangest in my life. The stylists use probably over 50 products on me, and by the end, I look like a completely different person. I stand and stare into a mirror for a minute once they're done with me. I never knew I had the potential to look like...this. Persephone seems beyond proud of herself, and she admires her work for a bit too. "You look divine." I catch myself smiling.

"Did Hunter have to do this?" I ask.

"Well, yes, but we didn't do as much for him. He didn't want to." I nod. "Anyways, the next step for you two is outfits for the chariot tomorrow."

"Oh. Yeah." This'll be the first time Amber sees me, if the Mellarks are even letting her watch TV. And President Snow. And the entire Capitol. I have to do something crazy if I want to be noticed among the sea of tributes from better districts. "What are you thinking?"

Persephone inhales sharply, as if she's been waiting for me to ask. "Well, I've been working on it for quite some time now... Let me show you." She disappears for a moment and returns with a sort of computer. "Here." After messing with it for a moment, she pulls up an image.

They're...coal miners. Same as every year. "It's...nice," I muster, looking closer at the designs now. It's really nothing special. "But, I mean, couldn't there be something exciting? Or memorable?"

Persephone snorts. "What, do you want me to set the dress on fire? What else can I do?"

I shrug. "Well, I don't know, maybe... Smoke? We come out in a haze of black smoke?" I mean, the outfits are nice, well-designed... It could have a nice effect.

Persephone thinks for a moment. "You know, you could be onto something, Cora! I'll see about it."

I smile, letting go of a relieved breath. "Thank you. I just... I don't want to fade into the background. I want to be noticed. For everyone back home."

"That's precious, you know? How sweet." Persephone sounds like she's speaking to a puppy, but I suppose that's something I'm going to have to get used to. "You can go back to your room, dear."

"Alright, thank you!" I leave, feeling a little more self-conscious about my old pink dress I'm wearing. I get on the elevator and look around, taking everything in. Suddenly, the elevator stops and another tribute gets in. He's muscular, with sandy hair and sharp features.

He makes eye contact with me. "Twelve?"

"Yeah." I realize we'd stopped on the seventh floor. "Seven," I say back.

"Yep." We don't say anything more. I get off at the twelfth floor and head to my room, to take off this dress. Effie stops me before I can.

"Here, have dinner. Haymitch is here." I follow her to the table, where I sit across from Hunter.

"You look different," is all he says to me before starting to eat.

Haymitch just looks at me. "It's a good kind of different, darling," he says, with a grin. I determine then that he must just walk around everywhere half-drunk. "You're one of the oldest tributes, you know? That's an advantage."

"...I guess." I look down at my food; suddenly I'm not so hungry. "Do you mind if I go to my room?"

Effie looks at me, a little surprised. "But - we have so much here - "

"Thanks, but... I can't." I stand up and push my chair in. As I walk away, Effie calls, "Chariots at 8 tomorrow, Cora! Be on time." She'll just wake me up anyway.

The first thing I do is get out of my pink dress. I feel like it's choking me, with memories of home and feelings of fear about being from District 12. I throw it on the ground and put on the first thing I find in my closet, a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. I sit on my bed, staring into the darkness of my room. Looking in the mirror earlier, seeing the damage District 12 did to me stripped away from my face, stirred something in me. It was like seeing another person.

I lay down on my back, but I can't fall asleep. I wonder how Amber is. I need her to see me tomorrow. I need _everyone_ to see me tomorrow.

* * *

 **A/N: thanks so much for reading! I'm starting school in a couple days so updates might be a little less frequent, but I'll still write when I can! please leave a review! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Just as I thought, Effie wakes me up at 8 to meet with Persephone. Hunter seems like he had a restful sleep; there are circles under his eyes and he won't look me in the eyes. Effie tries to wake us up with some chit-chat, but neither of us respond to it. All I'm thinking about is what the Capitol will think of me.

We meet Persephone in the same room we were in yesterday. The lights burn my eyes. "Alright, Hunter, Cora... I have your costumes here. You're going to look spectacular."

She hands me an outfit and ushers me into a small dressing room. I lay out the outfit and study it for a while. There are...buttons? Must be overalls. They're all covered in glitter, which makes me laugh. The shirt underneath is sleek and form-fitting, as are the overalls, I soon notice. I have to wonder what Hunter's costume looks like.

"Is everything alright, dear?" Effie calls through the door.

"Um, yes," I quickly reply. I take off my clothes and manage to get the outfit on pretty quickly, though I'll need someone to do the zippers.

"How does it look?" I ask, stepping out of the room.

Effie lets out a sharp gasp. "Cora, darling... You're _stunning_!" I smile a little; I guess that's good to hear. Persephone walks around me and starts doing the zippers.

"For once Effie's right."

I look up when Haymitch enters the room. He looks from Hunter to me, nearly laughing. I wonder if he was dressed as a coal miner for his own Games. He must have been; there's not much else you can do for District 12. "Quite a costume, Persephone," he says, chuckling. She doesn't seem to give his compliment much thought.

"Thanks, Haymitch," I say. He turns to me. "I'm not used to this kind of thing."

"Neither was I, sweetheart," he answers, "but they dressed me up all the same. Just keep your head up. You've got a pretty face, the audience'll want to see it."

He doesn't know that that's one of the nicest compliments I've ever been given. I hope it wasn't said through a half-drunken haze, but even if it was, I still appreciate it. "Well, uh... Should we get going, Effie?" I say, realizing suddenly that my face must be red. Effie nods and walks out. Hunter follows her, and I hurry after him. Haymitch stops me for a moment.

"Hey. Knock 'em dead." I smile and nod, then run after Effie and Hunter. Thankfully, because I'm tall enough already, Persephone decided I don't need heels for this costume.

We meet in a large hall, just in front of the Capitol's large stadium. I look out for a second into the sunlight, sighing. It's the first time I've seen the sun in a while. There aren't many windows here.

I finally get a real look at Hunter's outfit. It's similar to mine, except for the hard hat sitting on his head. "How do you like the outfit?" I ask.

"Doesn't matter," he replies lowly. "That's not what I'm thinking about."

"...Yeah." I think on what Hunter had said; he's right. This is all in preparation for me to fight to the death, isn't it? Why should it matter if my outfit is pretty? Why do I have to look nice for the audience?

 _Because they need to like me._ If I have any sort of attitude against them they won't support me when it really matters. They'll like one of their own; someone who looks as if she could have been raised in the Capitol herself.

"Cora! Come here, darling," Effie calls, grabbing my arm and dragging me away to another part of the large room. Persephone and the stylists immediately sit me down in a tall chair.

"Close your eyes," Persephone mutters, and she starts prodding my eyelid with a brush. I try not to wince. I'd forgotten about the makeup.

It takes far too long, but after some time they're done smearing my face in paint. I take a look in the mirror I was seated in front of. My eyes are nearly pitch black, and they did something to make my face look almost...glittery. I study myself until Effie pulls me back to our chariot. "Now, you and Hunter are going to stand and wave to the audience. Make sure you smile, dear," she says quickly, before turning to Hunter and saying the same thing.

I step into the chariot, wobbling just a little. I look out at the other chariots in front of me, and I can't help but notice that the costumes up front look better than ours. _The smoke trick'll work. It has to._

Hunter gets into the chariot and before I know it, we're riding out towards the audience. Just as we ride into the sunlight, the black smoke goes off. I grin, praying that at least some eyes are on us. Out of the smoke we emerge. Looking around, I can't see their faces that well, but I'll just have to hope. I grab Hunter's hand and raise it up high. He almost resists it, but I pull it up the rest of the way. I smile and look out at the audience as much as possible. Finally, we get to the front, and we stop in front of President.

"Tributes." His voice is booming, and it surprises me. I had figured they made him sound more intimidating on TV, but it seems that just comes naturally to him. "You stand before me proud of your District, ready to fight for it. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor."

I nod. _The odds will be in my favor._ I'll do everything I can. I start when the chariot turns around and we start moving again. I glance up and notice Caesar Flickerman sitting high up in a booth with the Games announcer whose name I forget. I wonder what Caesar said about me. I should check.

When we get back, I hop out of the chariot and turn to Effie. "How was that?" I ask.

"Oh, you were marvelous! Hunter didn't seem too happy but you were great!" I grin.

"Thank you, Effie." We leave and take the elevator to our floor. I stand around while Hunter sulks on the couch.

"Hey, what is it?" I ask him.

"Hey, just be quiet - "

"No." I cut him off. "Tell me what's wrong - "

"You wanna know what's wrong?" His voice raises suddenly, and I take a step back. "What's wrong is that I'm here, running around in glittery costumes before being sent to my death! What's wrong is that I was practically given a death sentence from the Capitol for doing nothing! I should be in 12 with Alia. I should be with my family. But I'm not! I'm here, in the goddamn Capitol, and I'm gonna die!" He's breathing heavily and his fists are clenched. I stare at him, unsure of what to say. Before I can say anything, he looks up at me with the same look he gave me on the train here.

"Now I don't know what's wrong with you. Are you just gonna let the Capitol groom you into their perfect little star? I hope you know you're gonna die in there too. The Careers always win. You should know that."

I immediately retaliate. "No! They're not grooming me, I'm becoming what I have to be if I want to win this competition! Who cares if the Careers always win? They're nothing special. They can fight but that doesn't mean anything if no one likes me. They're gonna _like_ me. Okay?" I realize I've developed the same stance Hunter is in. I quickly turn away from him.

"I know I'm gonna die, I'm not naive..." I look back at Hunter for a moment. "But I'm much stronger than you, Cora."

I won't let myself dwell on his words. I walk away from Hunter, fighting and nearly winning against the dread creeping into my mind. I go to my room and take off the costume, laying it out gently on my bed. After putting a t-shirt and shorts on, I go to wash my makeup off, but I can't help but stare at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. I look like another person. For once, I'm not a girl from District 12, I'm something...something more. After one last look, I wash the makeup off of my face and leave my room.

I sit down on the couch and turn on the TV, leaning back when I see that the chariot parade is already playing. The screen is on Caesar Flickerman, who has to be the strangest looking man I know of.

"Now, these two right here are the District 1 tributes - now, get this - their names are Diamond and Topaz. Isn't that sweet?" Caesar laughs, obnoxiously. "Look at Diamond's beautiful gown, _oh_ , I love it." I admit, it is a gorgeous dress.

Caesar and Claudius go through all the tribute chariots, until finally I can see District 12 emerge in a haze of smoke. Caesar gasps, and I grin. "What's this? Why, some special effects work from District 12! Interesting." As the smoke dissipates, my face becomes visible. "There they are, Cora and Hunter. Cora is loving this, what a confident grin!" Caesar addresses Claudius. "You know, Hunter didn't seem very excited about being reaped back in District 12 but Cora absolutely fascinated me with her confidence! The girl holds herself well, and that is a nice outfit on her."

I jump when someone sits down on the couch next to me. I whip my head around and find Haymitch, holding a flask. That doesn't surprise me.

He takes a swig and then screws it closed. "Shouldn't you be resting?" he asks, studying me. "Big day tomorrow." He's right; we'll be training for a good portion of the day with the other tributes, or we can be trained privately. Obviously, I want to work with the others and hopefully make a useful ally.

"Yeah, I was going now." I stand up, but Haymitch takes my hand, stopping me in my tracks. I turn back to him. "What?"

"I just wanna say you're doing well out there - really well," he says, and I'm almost sure he means it. "For the first time in a long time, I actually have a feeling that it's possible we could win this." He smirks when I don't reply. "I'm trying to say nice job, sweetheart."

I start to smile. "Thanks, Haymitch. It means a lot, really." I turn to the TV and see Caesar critiquing the fashions of Capitol socialites. "I just have to win them over, I _have_ to - I don't know how else I could pull this off."

"Let me tell you, Cora." Haymitch pats my hand and stands up. "I'll always be in your corner."

I grin. "...Thanks." I don't know what else I can say. Haymitch laughs, a rough laugh that sounds like it doesn't happen too often. "I'll go to bed then." He waves me goodbye, heading to his own room. Or to get another drink, I don't know.

I lay down in my bed, still with a smile on my face, and tonight I do manage to get some sleep.

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 **A/N: thanks so much for reading! also: thanks to Cloudoffeathers for the review! now that schools started updates will be slower, but I'll write as often as I can. again thanks and please leave a review! :)**


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